Authorities still looking for man believed to be responsible for stealing van, ensuing confrontation

Burglary-squad detectives are still looking for the man suspected of stealing a truck and sparking an all-day standoff in Newhall on Wednesday.

Longtime residents of a tree-lined neighborhood in Newhall are learning a little more today about what prompted the shutdown of Cross Street.

Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s detectives, who obtained a search warrant to enter a sprawling single-level house on that street, are busy tagging items found inside.

They recovered a stolen vehicle and “a significant amount of stolen property,” said Lt. Robert Lewis in his report released Thursday.

Detectives with the burglary squad said Thursday that three people were arrested near the house.

“Two males and one female who live at the residence were subsequently arrested on drug-related charges,” Lewis said.Sheriff’s deputies were tipped off about a stolen truck by an automatic license plate-recognition system, he said.

Detectives traced the truck to Drayton Street and Railroad Avenue and then to Lowe’s Home Improvement in Santa Clarita on Bouquet Canyon Road, he said.

“As deputies were attempting to review the Lowe’s surveillance video to identify a possible suspect, a male stole approximately $1,000 worth of merchandise and entered the stolen vehicle,” Lewis said.

A phone tip, however, led deputies to Cross Street.

The subsequent standoff began when a man came out of the Cross Street house, Lewis said, and “told deputies there were up to three males still inside.”

When deputies reportedly saw movement in the house, the standoff intensified.

Deputies contained the area, waiting for the special weapons and canine teams to arrive, Lewis said.

Despite “cold gas,” which acts like tear gas, police dogs and “diversionary devices” — which residents described as very loud — no one was found in the house.